1. Field of the Invention
An aspect of the present invention relates to an assembling structure of a clip and a mounting member, wherein the clip fixes the mounting member to a member on which the mounting member is to be mounted.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, to fix a mounting member such as a trim board to a mounted-side member such as a vehicle body panel of an automobile, a clip having a head portion and a leg portion is used. In this case, a hood-like mounting seat, to which the head portion of the clip is assembled, is formed in the mounting member. The head portion of the clip is assembled to the mounting seat and the leg portion is inserted into a mounting hole of the member on which the mounting member is to be mounted. In this way, the mounting member is fixed to the mounted-side member through the clip.
Usually, the mounting member includes a plurality of mounting seats. The clip is assembled to each mounting seat and a leg portion of each clip is inserted and fixed into the corresponding mounting hole of the mounted-side member. Each clip is assembled to have a play with respect to the mounting seat in order to align the leg portion of each clip with the corresponding mounting hole even when a small amount of an unavoidable manufacturing dimensional error is generated between the mounting member and the mounted-side member.
However, when the plural clips are respectively variously deviated in their play ranges, it is difficult to simultaneously position the leg portions of the clips so as to be inserted into the corresponding mounting holes. Accordingly, the working property is deteriorated.
JP-2001-041215-A discloses an assembling structure of a clip and a mounting member in which the clip includes an assembling portion in the base end portion, the mounting member includes an assembling pedestal on the mounting face, the assembling portion includes two flanges (plate bodies) and a shaft to connect the two flanges at the centers in parallel with each other, and the assembling pedestal is formed into a hollow shape having a bearing surface in the upper portion. The assembling pedestal includes: an opening on a side thereof; an open hole portion formed at a substantially central portion of the bearing surface to have a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft of the clip; an introducing passage communicating from the open hole portion to the opening on the side; and a convex peripheral portion formed concentrically with the open hole portion on the bearing surface.
In this clip, when the shaft of the clip is inserted into the open hole portion through the introducing passage, the bearing surface of the assembling pedestal is interposed between the two flanges of the clip, so that the clip can be assembled to the mounting member. In a state where the clip is assembled to the assembling pedestal, an outer circumferential portion of one of the flanges of the clip elastically pressingly abuts the convex peripheral portion provided in the assembling pedestal and is pushed upward. When the clip is not-coaxial with the center of the open hole portion of the pedestal, an outer circumference of one of the flanges is pushed by the convex peripheral portion and a returning force toward the center of the open hole portion is given by the elastic force of the flange. As a result, when no external force is given, the clip is held at a position close to the center of the open hole portion.
However, in the structure described in JP-2001-041215-A, the clip is assembled to the assembling pedestal in a state where one of the flanges of the clip is pushed upward by the convex peripheral portion on the assembling pedestal side. Therefore, there is a possibility that the flange is permanently deformed with age and the elastic force of the flange is lowered and a centering action of the clip is deteriorated.